On 4 Aug, 11:39, "Peter Masson"  wrote:
> "R.C. Payne"  wrote
>
> > Are you sure about London Bridge?  I'd have thought that the through
> > platforms (1-6) can accomodate more.  IIRC, there are 12 car Kent Coast
> > trains that call at 6 on the way up to Charing Cross, and 6 has a whole
> > section fenced off because it's redundant for current train lengths.
>
> Platforms then numbered 1-4, 6 and 7 were extended from 8- to 10-car length
> in the mid 1950s for the  South Eastern Suburban '10-car scheme' (ater
> Bulleid's 4DDs were found not to be the answer to peak overcrowding). To do
> this the No. 5 Up Through Line was removed.
>
> In the mid-1970s as part of the London Bridge resignalling a new Up
> Passenger Loop was created asjacent to the platform 6 (renumbered from 7)
> track. At the same time platform 6 was renumbered 5. The Up Passenger Loop
> and platform 6 line converge immediately beyond the station, with an overlap
> measured in inches rather than metres. Around 1990 platforms were again
> extended to 12-car length, and the opportunity was taken to set the starting
> signals back to provide a slightly more satisfactory overlap.

That doesn't sound quite right.  There must have been plenty of twelve-
coach trains through London Bridge before 1990 (although they used to
hang over the end at Charing Cross at 5 and 6, and couldn't have
fitted in the others).

As far as I know, the changes around 1993 were to extend all platforms
at Charing Cross to take twelve coaches comfortably and to extend
platforms at London Bridge so that there was a long distance between
the subways and where the trains stopped, so that people wouldn't jump
out of hiding and try to open the door of a train.

That was what encroached on the country end of the former platform 7.

Now that there are no slam-door trains, I don't really see the need
for the long walk which could be used for longer trains but, as you
say, there are no platforms long enough at Charing Cross anyway.

>
> I'm not sure ifr platform 5 could take a train longer than 12 cars in the
> down direction, but apart from that the statement that London Bridge has no
> platform that can take a train longer than 12 cars is correct. Anyway, a
> longer train could not be accommodated at Charing Cross or Cannon Street.
>
> AIUI the only 'Southern' termini able to take a train longer than 12x20m are
> platform 2 at Victoria (which used to cope with the Night Ferry, which could
> load to 17 vehicles behind the loco), the ex-E* platforms at Waterloo, and
> the northbound platform at Kensington Olympia.
>
> Peter